We compete for sleep…because it’s so important!

Thanks for my friends at Sleep Number for sponsoring this video and post!

In our family we all depend sleep, lots of it, to function optimally in every day life. The biggest question I hear from families is just how much sleep do children and teens need? Sleep needs vary for each person but we found these guidelines to be a good start. The CDC offers these sleep guidelines for different age groups.

Infants

• Birth–2 months need 12–18 hours
• 3–11 months need 14–15 hours

Toddlers/Children

• 1–3 years need 12–14 hours
• 3–5 years old need 11–13 hours
• 5–10 years old need 10–11 hours

Adolescents

• 10-17 years need 8.5–9.5 hours

An estimated 70 million American infants, children, and teens are sleep deprived. Could your child be one of them? It’s no secret to us moms that research shows how sleep deficits can contribute to hyperactivity, distraction, forgetfulness, learning problems, illness, accidents, and disruptive behaviors. My favorite book on kids and sleep is Sleepless in America written by my colleague, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. Her book teaches parents to recognize whether your child is misbehaving or missing sleep identifying the normal, everyday activities that may be innocently disrupting your child’s sleep. It’s time to end the bedtime and nighttime struggles, and as a result, stop the “misbehaviors” during the day get the sleep your whole family deserves. Kurcinka and I both believe that often what our misbehaving kids really need is NOT more “consequences” or more medication, but more sleep!

To be honest, in our home, bedtime is our craziest time of day!  Sleep is such an important part of family wellness…it’s the #1 thing we focus on in our house to keep us all happy and healthy…not to mention studies show that kids do better in school when they are well rested.  So now you know why I’m thrilled to partner with Sleep Number® and promote the overall coolness of SleepIQ® technology which lets you see how the whole family is sleeping.  My son’s SleepIQ™ Kids bed is comfy and lovely and snuggly and fluffy, and it even tilts up when his head is all stuffy. It measures his slumber, but wait, there’s much more! He gets a Sleep Number setting and a SleepIQ® score. And as the whole family learns what helps them sleep best, you set up routines for their coziest rest.

As parents we know our kids best. But when it comes to their every night sleep, do you know if it’s restful? Do you know if it’s deep? The first kids’ bed designed to be all knowing–it adjusts for their comfort because they are growing. It tracks how they’re sleeping, and when they are not. It tells them their sleep and what a good kid you’ve got.  The rewards are apparent and simple to see, you’re making it easy for your child to succeed. From play school to high school, SleepIQ® technology gives them knowledge, it can even go with them as they head off to college.

Share the love or just learn more about how to get a great sleep:

• Learn more about the Sleep Number SleepIQ Kids bed:  http://bit.ly/1NTQc2Y
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